Forced to Have Coverage, Can’t Afford It – Story

My wife and son lost their medicaid coverage because my income changed. I received a letter dated 1/19/19 on January 23rd, indicating they would be cut off as of 1/31 which gave me exactly 7 days to find coverage. I did bring home 1200.00 per paycheck after taxes and my insurance. So, I contact the marketplace and some brokers to see what our options were. After an exhausting search and multiple telephone calls with brokers and insurance agents, it was apparent that adding her on to my plan at work was going to be our only option. My coverage went from $147.00 per pay period for health, dental, and vision to $657.00 per pay period. One of my checks is gone!! My request to add my wife was emailed to the Benefits department 2/18/19. I read the language and requested they make her effective date 3/1/19. I was told this was fine. one week later when i got paid, I was shocked to see they had taken almost the whole thing for the current premium plus a retroactive payment for backdating the coverage to 2/1/19. I called and spoke with them and was told this was how it had to be done. i requested documentation showing this and was sent the following email….

FYI

As for loss of other coverage, it is pretty much the same as marriage. Assuming the employee or dependent requested special enrollment due to loss of group health plan coverage in a timely manner, the new coverage must begin no later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning after the date the plan or issuer receives the request for special enrollment.

This also ties into the general rule that cafeteria plan elections (including changes) need to be prospectively effective. The one exception to this rule is retroactive election changes for HIPAA special enrollment events for birth, adoption, or placement for adoption.

Regards,
S.

According to this, Coverage should have been effective 3/1/19 as my request was received by them on 2/18/19. first day is 1, first month after is March….

They are saying coverage has to take effect immediately they cannot wait. So, my car payment, insurance, and everything else has to be pushed back and late fees assessed because they feel they are entitled to a premium for which no claims were submitted.

Any assistance would be appreciated. I am hoping someone knows better.

DDS>

I I am in total agreement with you. I to work we cannot afford health insurance for my husband it is cheaper for us to pay the penalties. It’s not fair I totally disagree with the program. We are punished for holding a job.

My husband had two intracerebral brain bleeds , a stroke and organ failure. He was blinded at first. In NY we got Medicaid based on income and his health. We lost our home and came down south to NC. He is not eligible here at all. We do not have child in household. The market place wants 100 percent of our income to cover him. He will die without his medication. I would gladly go back up north on welfare to keep him alive. He has worked his entire life and in NC they will let him die. I am just so beside myself I don’t know what to do. So yes I read your post because I was looking to see if what is happening to us could be possible in our country.

ACA was a true blessing the first couple of years. I am a cancer survivor and a premium of $5200 per month for a family of 3 was unaffordable in 2008 when my husband lost his public job. Our premium started at about $389 for 3 and that’s less than the employer coverage we had with a public job. We now pay $683 for a great plan through Alliant Solocare. $400 per person deductible and $800 out of pocket but they are leaving our county. Ambetter is the only ACA left and this insurance was a scam. We had them last year for 9 months and they refused to pay for medication on their list and doctors laughed at the thought of accepting them. I will not have insurance next year as the insurance commissioner in Georgia knows this is a joke for an insurance company. I believe the ACA was started with good intentions but greed has taken over. I will have to do without insurance next year in order to pay for my medication because I need it. It’s a shame the greedy bad apples ruined what was once a blessing. I understand the complaints on here but please understand there are those like me that will be priced out of the market due to pre-existing conditions and I do pay thousands in taxes every year. I’m grateful for the medical care I have received this year but ACA should take a good look at what’s left on the exchange, especially in rural areas. As great as my insurance is, my deductible for out of network is $20,000 so if I have a heart attack or am in a terrible accident, I will have to risk my life to get to a hospital my insurance takes or put my family in financial ruin. Hoping for a solution. I agree able bodied folks that don’t work should not be extended Medicaid. I hope we can all come together for a solution. I don’t want my fellow Americans to suffer financially and I hope you don’t disregard me because I had cancer years ago.

I am unemployed and take care of my parents. I do not get ANY healthcare,my state didn’t expand Medicaid so at least you have a income.

they need to get rid of this obama care insurance now.they are making the poor people poorer and the rich people richer.we the people need to take back our rights .and have a president who works for the people of the united states. stop spending our tax dollars on war and live in peace with every human being on this planet. love and peace is the only thing that is going to end this poverty and hunger of the human race.we the people ,black,white,red ,purpl,green,ect. are all one race, and that is humans. so love and peace to every human being. we are all spiritual beings in a human body living on planet earth. so please try to live peacefull . we are all brothers and sisters no matter what color our skin is.

I’m in the same boat, I make more than twice as much annually now than i did 5 years ago. I should be making financial headway but since the increase due to Obama-care and the insurance companies(honest thieves) I am bringing home the same amount as I was 5 years ago. I just can’t get ahead and your exactly right about there just isn’t any pay off anymore for all the work we put in. What we are really insuring is depression and anxiety for ourselves.

You know, whats interesting is how every comment made by the moderators whom have been responding to these threads confuse and attempt to sideline the angry workers. The only people who are not complaining about obamacare’s insane cost is the unemployed and the top 1% of the populous. Insurance through my employer costs half my paycheck, and through obamacare’s offerings 1/3rd of my monthly income. Why praytell should insurance cost the same or close to rent. Let me break down the real cost of living for families.

House or apartment rent or mortgage (they cost about the same) = 45%+ of monthly income
Car/transportation costs = 20%+ of monthly income
Utilities = 15%+ of monthly income
Food and supplies for minimal survival = 30%+ of monthly income

Clearly most people have to deal with more expenses than this, such as student loans, children, various random life occurrences. So whats the point of prolonging your life using insurance that puts you further into debt, and the additional cost of paying medical bills you couldn’t afford in the first place, living past 60 when all you have left is a floor to contemplate your life as a slave, dying because you no longer receive care to give you quality of life, just preventative maintenance.

Seems there’s only two options for normal people now, slowly die as a slave or die a little faster in a third world country.

I fully agree

My employer used to supply my coverage, but when it was going to increase by 100% they drooped it and that forced me to insure thru healthcare.gov. The beginning premium was approximately 75% more than the total I and my employer paid combined before he had to drop it. Now in November 2016 I just received a letter informing my that my monthly premium for 2017 is expected to be 110% higher. It has came to a point that I can choose to have health insurance or feed and cloth my family! Hmmm….what should I do? Retoricalquestion of course. What a mess Obama has created! A fraudulent president sold his constituency a fraudulent bill of health goods! What happened to the $2,500 per year savings? Oh, it flew out the window with the doctors we could keep. My 2017 cost, if i did pay it is about 50% of my income….affordable my American ever loving southern white a$$!!!

I can not afford ObamaCare to this day! And, still wonder how we as Americans can be forced to pay out money or penalized. I dont understand it. I would like to sue the government for causing me stress, depression and many other health issues because of worry.

No one can afford to pay for something that doesn’t work. You pay this premium and the hospitals and doctors are ahead of you, trying to get money out your pocket too. Everyone is scamming. There are 318 million people getting scammed in this country right now. And what do we do? We roll over. The type of country we are becoming is so sad. We need a John Wayne to come in and give us back our fighting spirit. We all logically know that not participating is the only way to make this go away. But we are all yellow bellied sapsuckers. For those who have never watched westerns that means cowards. This scheme is even worse than car insurance which is another way we get ripped off every month.

Yes I agree with this author. Obamacare ONLY benefits the very poor or the very rich. I am self-employed with a small business – technically I am middle class with no benefits and I am having a very hard time affording health insurance, which is going to cost me approximately 40% of my annual income when you factor in extremely high deductibles (which I have to have just to afford the monthly premiums). If it were just me, I would NOT have insurance and instead sock money into a contingency fund, and self-pay for service. But I have a family and I have to have medical insurance. This is causing me undue hardship and it is breaking the working-class Americans!

I had to make a my choice if I like or get Obamacare.im healthy and I pay to my self Doctor every 3 month.so why IRS charge automatic my fee?? I live democratic cunntry…..I don’t have extra money for my self.

I feel you, as many other Americans who continue to work knowing they are going against the grain. I too make to much and living in Maryland doesn’t help. The monthly premiums is not the issue, but the deductibles are a joke. Family of 3 expected to pay $650 a month with $4500 deductible at $13000 family max. So now I am searching ways to insure my family and maintain my household. It just seems easier to not even try, just go with the flow and feed off others hard labor. Eventually it will catch up to us, everyone will work low paying jobs in order to receive hand outs and we will be back to the same problem. By then, we may be dead but our children would be so government dependent that it will be pointless. I don’t want to give in and I sure as hell do not want my children growing to except government cheese. I will withdraw from this health plan and pay the penalties. What would happen if everyone expected to pay into this declined? Will penalties alone cover the costs? Either way I will continue to work for my family and pay my taxes. Just hope that the next President reads these post and work for the people, not the companies trying to milk us dry.

I almost fell over when I received my new Obama care 2017 premium hike announcement. $568.67 per month ($505.67 w/tax credit) for a single person with a $3,550 deductible. I can’t afford this. Being a small business owner, I have carried individual health insurance plans in the past and had great coverage for under $200 per month with low deductibles. You can buy a small home in Florida for this kind of monthly expense I am now being charged. I’m too rich to get a fair insurance premium and too poor to afford my current premium. People on this forum get emotional because many of us were raised to love this country and believe that the government would take care of us and treat us fairly. I don’t expect to get health insurance for free, but I expect much lower rates and better coverage. It seems to me that Obama care was a good idea, but some how the insurance companies are dictating premiums and getting away with charging whatever they want.

House income is not right ,husband went on Medicare ,and he pays for supplant an prescription and that is not accounted for +I pay 3 times more than before

My daughter and son-in-law both educators. Both have masters degrees. ACA is over $1000 a month. School insurance more expensive than ACA. This healthcare cost is paid on teacher’s salaries. They do not qualify for ACA discount as they make too much per year by a few hundred dollars. They have twin 15 year old sons. Parents will need to get parttime jobs just to pay bills….house, car, health & life insurance, utilities, food , etc. They were putting back small amount for savings and boys’ college, but have been unable to do that since ACA became mandatory.They pay full cost for doctors visits and a signigicant amount for prescriptions already. Daughter and one son asthmatic and cost of medication several hundred dollars and that is with insurance paying a portion. What with the monthly amount of healthcare going up significantly per month, I suggested they just pay the penalty.

Obamacare is not affordable whatsoever. More like working class foot the bill act

I can no longer afford my health insurance premiums. Went from 400$ to 1500$ a month. I amy so frustrated over this mandated policy. I hope in open enrollment I can change these premiums as my financial situation has changes with our small business. Voting for Trump thats for sure!

Due to a financial crisis, my employer had to discontinue health insurance for employees. For the past year I’ve paid $34 a month for a policy that covers nothing until an over $6,000 deductible is met. Well, I get one office visit per year, and pay a $30 copay.
This week I received a letter stating that, beginning in January, my monthly payment will be $178. I make less than $12 an hour. I live frugally, paycheck to paycheck. There is no way I can afford this.
I work in the social work field. There are no job alternatives here, not in my field or out of it, that would both pay a living wage and/or provide insurance coverage. I made $2,000 too much to qualify for Medicaid.
I have kidney disease. Now I am waiting until I get my tax refund, hopefully in February, to get my needed blood tests done. I cannot afford it until then. I cannot afford to see my specialist twice a year. I thank God my medications are affordable.
Where do I turn?

why am i paying all this money for health care when i’m not getting anything but more bills?

Female, 30 years old, live in Milwaukee, WI. I make $15.00 per hour and work a 40 hour work week. I do not qualify for state assistance because I make too much, and cannot afford Obamacare or regular insurance because I do not make enough to afford it. How does this help people like me? What are my options? I am uninsured because of this, and now I have to see a doctor and cannot, unless I want to pay for it all out of pocket, which I cannot afford, again. When I was looking into Obamacare, all it asked me was my income, not what I have to pay for on a monthly basis? Well, that $900 bi-weekly now turns into $300 after bills, rent, etc. Not including grocery shopping and any other misc. thing that comes up. Obamacare quoted me at $174 per month at the cheapest. Seriously??? Someone please help!

I am a Utah resident. I’m 23 years old next month and I have been paying for my own health insurance all of 2016! What happened to me being able to be covered under my parents plan? I have to pay $162 a month with a $7000 duductable. I can go to the doctor once a year for free if I’m not sick! i am a full time student and only work during the summer months! I am being ripped off big time and there is nothing I can do about it. My wife is due in a couple weeks and if I add the baby to my plan my deductible jumps to $10k and $400 per month! Why don’t I just get a life insurance plan and shoot myself. Healthcare is the biggest load of bull crap I have ever dealt with! Why coudn’t Obama just keep his damn promises!

I have two special needs children who are covered I have no ins for me and my wife. I have been sick for several yeas and I have to keep working.life is misery and my wife cries what will happen to our kids when we both die because we simply don’t have the money to go to the doctor. Politicians maneuver for election and good people die daily it’s sad.the American Dream died was buried with corporate greed and central bank thievery. They need their hot tubs and vacations in the Bahamas. I don’t watch the kardashians they make me sick. Hard word working people don’t make enough to eat sometimes. Much less less have insurance. Doctors have to lay off nurses because no one goes to the doctor or dentist they can’t afford it.

If this is your family business, structure it so you take out only a small salary. Have the company provide for other expenses. You can have your company cover your medical expenses (through company dependents), pay for your housing, and car, etc. Talk to a CPA to address all the legal issues and get it right; don’t take this as advice.

I pay a lot for insurance for me and my son, but because ACA, i was denied by insurance companies due to pre-existing condition. So although I feel that prices are high and some adjustments need to be made, i appreciate being able to have insurance. As a self employed business owner, what is the best option to obtain coverage. I also realize that people are frustrated, but reading through some of these comments, i feel that people are rude. It is frustrating being forced to pay for coverage, but their is nothing to do but to make it happened, but if there is a way to lower fees I would like to know. Right now I pay for individual coverage approx $400 month.

I hear that scary story over and over again. I would love to do something else other than drive a school bus, but it gives me medical coverage that I can almost afford, if I do not use it. This is crazy crap. Medical insurance was affordable at my job till the Obama Care went into affect.

This ACA has destroyed everyone in the MIDDLE Class. My family and myself have always had insurance up until these idiots took over in 2013. Premiums MORE THAN DOUBLED and we are supposed to accept this and pay it to make others rich? I REFUSE to pay these premiums and then when I get ill I cannot afford the deductibles for care anyway. So then what ObamaCare? We are just left to DIE as you laugh your way to the bank. You can keep your corruption and thanks for destroying many lives of the hard WORKING people. Don’t respond to me with your bullshit “affordable options” because you have destroyed the insurance industry and my own family’s insurance!!

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. I’m recently divorced, 28 years old, they take half of every paycheck to pay child support and I can’t afford the bills I have already. It would be nice to have health insurance since I end up owing money for not having it every year anyways. But for some reason when I apply it says I make too much. How is $25,000 a year too much.? Keep in mind half of that goes to child support throughout the year so really I’m only keeping around twelve thousand. Things were better before Obamacare health insurance should be free for those who can’t afford it or are in positions like mine.

I completely agree with this comment. In fact, I am in disbelief that a president of the US and the congress could allow this to happen to working people. Both my sons are victims of this. Prior to the ACA implementation, they had solid small business insurance through United (Oxford) Health. Makes me never want to vote for a democrat again.

I dont think Americans should have to pay for anything they dont want. I refuse to pay for health insurance. I dont go to the doctor. Why should I pay for insurance? Im 47 years old and I can count on one hand how many times Ive been to the doctor. I refuse to pay hundreds a month for something that im not using.

Im 47, single, white (although I dont see why that is even a question these days) male (also, not sure why thats even asked since we can just pick genders at will these days) and I make just under 30k a year. I am a live-in caregiver and I work 7 days a week, no overtime no benefits.
The best plan available to me in Texas is $266 dollars a month with a $6500 deductible. I cant afford to pay that since I am on a payment plan to pay the IRS for last year’s penalty. This cant be happening. My government cant be happy that am being forced to shell out so much money. My god, its more than my car payment.
I feel like I should say I am disabled transgender minority with 8 kids just so that I can get some healthcare that I can afford.
I have skin cancers popping up. I have issues with my colon. I need to be seeing a Dr. I feel like going to the E.R. is a complete waste of time (since I dont have insurance and I am not an illegal. No bs, come to the University hospital in San Antonio and go to the E.R. and watch as illegals are allowed to cut in the line. I have seen it with my own two eyes.)
Im worried that the people in D.C. are completely unconcerned with the burden this has put on us. I cant pay, I cant get a second job, there are no raises in this job, and even IF i was able to somehow earn more money to pay this healthcare bill, I would have a higher premium with my income.
Honestly, do I need to just be poor so I can get healthcare? Poor, super rich or work in Congress to get healthcare?
Thanks for listening, I hope that other people like me can get some relief from the government that is supposed to help us. And if not help, then at the very least they should do is not hinder.
Thank you.

We have been “lucky” as my husband was always able to get insurance through his job. We had to pay something but the company was able to get a group plan and paid for part of it. Our daughter, who is an adult, lives with us because she cannot afford rent on her salary. Sure, she was able to sign up for a plan, but has to pay a bit for a “halfway decent plan” (which still does not really cover that much). All Obama did was make the Insurance Lobbyists happy as heck and the COST of the insurance premiums skyrocketed. Thanks a heck of a lot, Obama! (YES! I am being sarcastic)! We have every RIGHT to be pissed. We work hard all our lives only to have some out-of-touch rich politicians stomp on our basic rights. I am personally tired of the government putting its nose where it DOES NOT belong. My family and I do not have our hand out begging for the government to GIVE us anything. (I am more than positive that many people feel the exact same way)! We have paid into the system for a very long time and when we do claim social security we ARE NOT being given anything as WE HAVE PAID for it already! (Hopefully, it will be there when we need it)? Obama and his family and his cronies have everything at their fingertips and have NO idea what it is like to really be with only a few resources (and to have to make due), so, of course, we resent the mess he has pulled. Of course, while Obama is on his vacation to Hawaii (or wherever), we are not able to afford one (and it’s not because we don’t save). None of us should be FORCED to purchase a product from their insurance lobbyist buddies. Sure, there are so called “exemptions”, but we should not have to explain ourselves if we decide not to purchase their “product(s)”. Personally, I really really resent the penalty that Obama and “they” have placed on people who do not buy the insurance. Like I said, my husband and I have insurance through his company, but it has been affected very negatively by ObamaCare. The real problem is that Obama does not care. This is looking a lot like a dictatorship. Guess the “Men in Black” will be coming for me next because I speak my mind. This is a free country? Really!!! @@@@ Lol …. End of Rant!

everybody even private sector should have same health insurance retirement same sick leave early retirement as goverment employees police, firemen, military get the picture,you can;t live off social securty you work your a&#s off to pay for all the goverment kings.

After I lost my job I was on unemployment benefit for few months and then decided to apply for obamacare plan. I could not believe that I had to pay only $6.50 for a plan with zero deductible for myself and my spouse. But my cheer was premature. Once I got a new job with very average income, my premium for the family had to go up to $1050/ month to keep the same plan. It is clear that Obamacare targets the low income or subsidized families and does not provide equal opportunities for the middle class. It is another way to mask direct funding of low income families by Medicaid by bringing insurance companies as middlemen. The result: more taxpayer dollar spent for fund families who are hereditary welfare and Medicaid “abusers”.

I don’t understand how your premiums cost 40% of your income. I thought that no one has to pay more than 9.5%.

I am very disappointed in the Affordable Care Act because I believe we should have single payer, non profit health care for all. America is the only country in the world that has even basic health care that is for profit.

When I think of all the women and mothers dying in Republican controlled states, like Charlene Dill, I hate the Republican party more and more. You see, I am both anti abortion and pro life, unlike conservatives, who are only pro life just for nine months and only in the womb, then pro death for all human life thereafter.

It is high time that Americans stand up and demand what every single civilized nation in the world has, universal and affordable non profit health care for all as a right of citizenship.

I’m in the same boat. I would say Obama ought to be hung by those BIG ears!! He is simply being controlled by the big money players. It has to stop.

I can’t afford it either! I worked for an Large Health Care provider, worker for 30 years and was laid off in 2012 because of Obamacare. I was only 59 years old. The company paid my healthcare for a year. I drew my unemployment and tried to get back in my old company but never found work so I retired. I had health plan under my husband, but now he is retired and could not get health coverage for me. I am now 63 years old in need of health care and cannot afford to buy the $549.00 premium with a $6000.00 deduction before getting any treatment. Thanks Obamacare for the free ride for America and not helping the seniors. I live in California. In California they even use your zip code to determine the premium along with the household income. Get real Obamacare sucks! We need a roof over our heads and food.

I have been paying for those who can’t afford it or refuse to work for years. I agree with everything you wrote. To help pay for Obamacare, my SS was decreased by $177 annually because my deductible insurance increased.

I think that I hear the excuse that I had to choose between finances and my family so I chose my family. That is a blanket statement so that if anyone tries to argue their point you can immediately justify yours by saying that family comes first. First off, you cant count the deductible as part of the overall 9.6% against your overall income. The average person does not need $5000 of healthcare per year. I dont know about some of the crazy states, but in Michigan on the HealthCare marketplace, I was able to get a 94% plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan in the Silver Category for $200 per month. Then, with the $139 per month tax break I get because I filled out all the paperwork and jumped through all the hoops (not that there are very many) which drops my out of pocket monthly cost to about 60 bucks. Now sure, if I have to go to the doctor and get medication or go to the hospital and have surgery then I am sure there will be some extra cost. I hear people complaining that they cant take care of their families, and while I am sure some of these cases are unfortunately true, I feel like most people just want it taken care of for them or they will just kick and flail and whine about how they didn’t want the ACA and how they didn’t vote for Obama(specifically you Steve, because we live in a democracy and its not about who YOU voted for). Insurance sucks, but if you are willing to buckle down and do the leg work, you can get taken care of. The first tool you need though, is to properly educate yourselves. Dont be swayed because you heard some story about some single individual that got screwed. There are always a few mistakes, and they need to be addressed in their own right, but a few mistakes doesnt at all mean that everyone will have problems. I am guessing most people using the HealthCare marketplace are probably not running into many problems. At least I personally cant say anyone that I know is.

We should all quit our jobs and go on SSI disability and bankrupt this hell hole of a country. Get food assistance, Medicaid,disability,a free phone,and utility bill assistance. If you makes less than 50k a year it’s pretty much better to just stay home at this point. Someone is getting rich off of it all.

I am a 61 year old woman living on a fixed income. I am supporting 2 of us on 1495.00 a month. 1117.00 of that goes for my mortgage. I can’t get an apartment because I don’t make enough and people don’t want to rent to us. The rest goes to utilities. And some months they don’t get paid. My medication cost 200.00 a month. Human Services said I make too much to be getting Medicad. I broke my ankle in November. A couple of weeks ago my husband took my cast off with a circular saw because I couldn’t pay to have the doctor take it off. Social security paid 250.00 of a 2000.00 dollar bill. My husband qualifys for medicaid but I don’t. I am feeding my family on 8.00 a day for the link help for food. Then I am threatened that if I don’t have health care I could be homeless.The government will take my home or I can go to jail for not being covered. I can’t afford the 104.00 a month for medicare. Like most low income people I can’t afford high premiums and high deductables. I am also disabled. Obama should try and live like we do on 1495.00 a month. Last month I had only enough money for 5 days of my medication. I haven’t been able to get help with that either. Not everyone takes the Obama care so my husband can’t use insurance he has to pay for. But my income is all we have. So I am paying for his insurance and he can’t use it. And to fine the people who can’t afford insurance is insane. I am paying for the insurance for schools, and all of the other things like city workers and can’t pay for mine. All in property tax. I am even paying for their retirement and I have nothing for mine. Get the man out of office or shoot him I don’t care. While he’s flying around to other countries my family is sick and hungry. My husband and I share 1 piece of chicken when we can afford a piece of meat. While Obama is giving my money to other countries, the money I worked 14 hour days to support my family. I have paid my taxes every year since I was 19 years old and this is the pay back. When do I get the help? What he’s done to the American people is a crime and he should be held accountable and jailed for what he’s done. Shame on him. I say shoot the SOB. Help the people that he’s been living off of. Most of the people who didn’t have health care is because they can’t afford it are now being threatened with fines because they are poor. I don’t know the law but being poor is not a crime. Trump said it best get rid of the illeagles, so the americans have a chance to survive. I see people paying for food with food stamps while wearing 200.00 shoes. How is this rights. And most of them are black people. Maybe if I were black I would have a better life. What he’s doing is a crime. Shame on you Obama. Pay for your own health ins. and retirement instead of the poor people doing it for you. He’s not a leader for a better America but he is the leader leading us into to hunger and homelessness

Is it possible to sue the government for increasing premiums on private insurance carriers to help fund obamacare and all their loses with the exchanges?
carol

I agree with you 100%. Plus everytime you call the so called obama care salespeople, you get a different person, with a different quote. It is rediculous.

I agree with you. Obama Care is a sham. The insurance companies are making a fortune. The house and Senate should be forced to use Obamacare and I bet it would get changed fast.

I just found your post and you are talking our language. I am a full time student and my husband works full time. Every 2 weeks, the government takes over $300.00 from his checks. That money goes to the state and federal government. We did have 4 children in the home, but now we have 3, yet we still are struggling to survive. Though I was in the hospital most of December with blood clots, and my husbands take home pay a check is about 1300, I was just booted off medicaid, thus I could die because we cannot afford the medicine. We live in PA where taxes are high. We have car insurance, electric costs, heating costs (OIL), the cost of food, internet (needed for college), and home phone (needed for internet), college loans, and just enough to pay for fuel and milk, butter, and vegetables which we have to get weekly since they go bad. At this point, we are having to make a decision – Do we get health insurance or heating oil? The children in our home are 23 months old, 3 months old, and 11 years old. I am terribly saddened and feel as though perhaps people may have in the great depression. This is crazy! While we are all suffering, those with GOLD membership are living off us. I would really like to know where the penalty monies are going when peoples taxes are taken? I am deeply saddened and scared. We are hard working people. I am an A student. WE live in a country now where it’s not the land of the free. I am just so sad. I wish I could smile more and be the mother my children deserve, the mother who doesn’t worry about heat costs being covered or not. Lord help us. Please, lord help us.

I was told by my employer that I needed to drop Obama Care due to them offering coverage now. I make 31,000 a year and my wife doesn’t work. The individual plan is $55 a week and the family plan is $210 a week. They asked me to take the individual and let my wife find a plan in the market. Either way, My wife doesn’t work and stays at home with my one year old and hasn’t any income. What are my options?

Obama care hurt so many families. . I’m totally with you.. if there was a way to get rid of it I’d join. Unfortunately we don’t live in a free country

My family signed up for Obama Care in 2014. Best thing we ever did! Or so we thought. My husband is self employed so we really try to project what his income will be but signing up for 2016 was a nightmare. I felt as if I was talking to teenagers on the phone the whole time and they had my identity mixed up with someone who was incarcerated so I had to send them 60 days of pay stubs to prove otherwise. Our premiums have doubled since we initially signed up and now we are going to be paying close to $5000 for the year but here is the kicker. All of my office visits labs and my maintenance meds I take every month are Completely out of pocket. We do not qualify for cost share services so basically I am paying for insurance that is useless. Our deductibles are $3000 each. Since we have signed up my husbands business has slowed dramatically so it is getting to the point of Rent or Insurance? I think the initial idea was a great one but I feel the insurance companies are doing the same when it was mandatory for people to have car insurance. Over the last 3 years we have had Obama Care our premiums have doubled every year and medical services that were covered are no longer. Why should I pay for a product that is useless?

I think Obama should be flogged in public and anyone else that believes in this force of government on the public. Me and my spouse are insured generously by my employer. I have step kids and their dad is court ordered to provide insurance. He refuses so we paid for insurance for the two kids last year. This year, the rates tripled so we can’t afford to pay for it anymore. It is too expensive to take their lowlife dad to court and it is too expensive to buy insurance for them. Now Obama penalizes me on my taxes for not insuring the kids. Lose lose situation. I despise Obama for this crap and I despise the American sheep that voted for him. Why couldn’t he have left things alone?!

We heartily agree with you. This “health-care coverage” is a big penalty to the middle class, and the high deductible makes it utterly useless to us. We, too, will be carefully voting for anyone who is listening and has plans to dismantle this abusive plan.

We got hit with $6000.00 bill to repay an ACA “tax credit”. My wife took a job half way through the year. She worked very hard. The extra income ended up costing us dearly. This is the first time we did not get a tax refund. The IRS has flexed its strong arm to collect. In addition we are now paying interest and penalties.Hooray for the US government.
We are in our early 60s. We have been forced to use our savings to subsidize this nonsense. We are not eligable for any Tax Credit unless we my wife quits her job and I work less. She took the job in the first place to subsidize our retirement.This was to not be dependant on our government later on. We have skimped and saved for 30 years. This made us the evil rich? What a backfire!! This year a silver plan for us is close to $1200.00 per month! Who ever heard of such nonsense. In addition the deductibles are outragious . Hooray for the insurance companies!
ACA is out of whack with reality. The powers that be are in LALA land and so are the candy coated responses on this blog. ACA is simply unfair. It is causing hard ship. ACA is shoved down our throats. It is not as great as you spin doctors preach.
Should health insurance premiums be more than your mortgage, car payment, taxes, food and living expenses, ect, We will not be hoodwinked again. The remedy… My wife quit her job, I work very little this year.We will pay little or no income tax. Wewill get ACA credit next time. We take our social security at age 62. What an adjustment. Seems counter intuitive?

The idea was to do like any other developed country: single payer and cut the middle man. We already have a single payer plan: medicare. But, the insurance lobby threatened to do as when Hillary Clinton was working on it, which costed the House to the Democrats as the industry created a very negative campaign. The insurance industry helped to write the law to protect themselves from extinction. Another thing is the cost of drugs, we basically subsidize research, and the government cannot currently negotiate prices, so we end paying what other countries, who can negotiate with big pharma, does not. Then you have to see the demographics and the actuarial environment in the USA. We are the world’s third largest country in terms of population and have an aging population, the risk is lowered because of births and immigration.

I can’t pay for this I was struggling already before this crap I’ve Hurd of the end of the world …this is the beginning.

Ever since Obama care rolled out I now pay $359 each month..went up $75 from last year. My deductible is so high…I now owe IRS $2 k due to not knowing I had to file jointly and now I am penalized for making more income..went to the hospital ..bug in my ear..got that flushed out in 10 minutes have a $3k hospital bill Kaiser Permanent paid almost half I am in collections for $1700. $400 to the incompetent doc who poked my eardrum…since Obama care..I now am in debt to the tune of $4000…great Obama I make $13.50 an hour…..looks like it’s collections for me..oh but at least the rich are ok..I can sleep well tonight! In the mean time I am loosing my job because I can’t get to work because I can’t afford a car payment because I am giving all to my insurance premium each month….oh and does anyone care..nope..!
I am trying to pay down the 400 Doctor bill that went to collections 25 a month and they haven’t cashed one of my checks..money isn’t good enough for them…I don’t know what hell is going on…might as well jump off the cliff! And the thing is I love Obama voted for him trusted the guy to do us right…it didn’t work!

I agree 100 percent . If I can’t afford the insurance hoe can I afford a penalty. I think Obama care sucks do they think we all would love to have peace of mind and have insurance but how can I when I’m paying for all the people that don’t work and get it for free. I too will not be voting for anyone that wants to keep Obama care in. The government should be ashamed of themselves taking taking from hard WORKING people

My employer does not provide Medical insurance. My premium went up almost $100 a month. My prescriptions went from $5 to 26.00 and my deductible is $6000. I do not qualify for assistance as I am told I make too much money. I can not afford this. Any suggestions??

I am a broker and I am outraged by the highest cost of health plans Obamacare calls lower cost alternatives. A $25000 gross per year , one adult has to buy the lowest plan available with a premium of $250! per month with a deductible of over $5000 ? with the plan paying nothing until the deductible is reached.It this fair?. This is not freedom of choice , it is chipping away peoples quality of life. Where is the incentive to work harder? People are obligated to pay to health Insurance companies for plans they can not use!

Can’t afford to pay an extra 55 dollars for part B. I would rather pay for my prescriptions. They are not as much as. Part B. Its pay this and go hungry.

Divorced, alimony that is applied to mtg. payment, part time low-wage job. No way is there money to pay for an insurance plan that is virtually unaffordable to use, after paying for monthly utilities & food. This is wrong.

Right now I am in the process of losing our physical therapy clinic because the Obamacare plans are literally paying 16-20 dollars for some P.T. visits. I pay one of my assistants 23./ an hour. I also have to have an assistant. We have worked so hard for years and shed many tears over this clinic.

I am in same boat. I do live in NJ I now pay a premium for my 3 girls for nj family care. I am more than greatful to still qualify for then but I no longer do. I am in debt still paying off bills from when there dad lost his job and we were behind on mortgage. At work I can pay $12 a week for coverage with a $6000.00 deductible or pay little under $500 a month for just me with no deductible. I live paycheck to paycheck. We don’t go out to eat , no vacations, I sometimes don’t send my kids to birthday parties because I don’t have money for the gift. I’m upside down in my home so I can’t even leave. Now I am going to be penalized . I want to get another job but then what about my kids. I leave my house 8:30 every morning and get home most night 7:30 . It’s a Damn shame what’s going on . Yet if I were to stay HOME I would be given health care and then some. I’m being peniluzed for being a hard working citizen.

Onama care is total bs!!! I’m searching couch cushings for change keeping my heat at 60 using a kerosene heater to supplement my heat and becoming very creative with ramen noodles I can not afford the the additional Obama care bill of $280.00 a month nor can I afford the tax penalty seeing how the small refund I may get is always used to catch up the past bills. End this shit and give us our freedom to make our own dam decisions

OBAMA CARE SUCKS!!! I cannot afford any of it, It’s not Affordable like it says, I cant get medicaid either because they say I make too much, which I DO NOT!! I cannot afford it at my job either and the deductibles are WAY too high that I looked int….so I’m getting penalized for not having something I cannot afford, HOW IS THAT FAIR!!!
I’m disgusted with this healthcare &%(#*!

I cannot afford this obamacare, it is going out of my budget plan. I do make gross income around 65,000 a year. My wife is housewife and we are expecting a baby soon. I picked the Blue cross blue shield gold plan (323.00) for my wife and I picked the lowest Bronze plan minuteman ($181.00). Having a Bronze plan means I have to pay most of the medical expenses by myself because deductibles are so high and it is hard to find the hospital that accepts minuteman near by my town. I feel like I am wasting my money because I hardly go visit Dr. once in a year. I enrolled into plan because I was scared of being fined by government. House rent, car insurance, gas, food, medical insurance, income tax, everything cost me lot. After paying all the expenses it leaves me with $0.00 on hand. I don’t think I can ever able to afford a house in whole life. One of my friend suggested me to quit this job and obtain a less paying job. He said if we make less money we get more benefits from the government like medicare, food stamps etc. I am thinking of resigning from my current job and find job at burgerking or Mcdonad. Why should I work if I cannot save any money. 6000/year medical insurance is too high for me.

I am stuck in a total different scam. Since my wife was unemployed we had to pay an increased rate to add her to my policy. She recently started a new job and I went to remove her. Being she has had insurance for more than 31 days through her employer the will not remove her until the next open enrollment. That’s right,
we have to pay 11 more months of insurance payments for something we don’t want or need. The greedy people in this world just don’t care about people struggling to get by. It is pretty much theft and should be illegal. Unbelievable!

I was given the opportunity to get health insurance through my work this year in lieu of a raise. The insurance would have cost my employer $8,500 dollars. I chose to take the money instead because I saved to buy a house and new id need every cent I could get for a down payment. Throughout the course of the year I had a monthly prescription cost of $80 dollars and an ear infection that cost roughly $450 dollars. I payed $1,410 out of pocket. That’s over $7,000 dollars I would have lost, now I am supposed to pay a fine? I work 50 hours a week, today it was 20 degrees and snowing and I worked outside all day- where does this money for the fine go, to people who don’t work ? I’ll never get this system and can not wait till everything changes next year.

My wife and I are now subscribers to the Exchange… given I lost my previous position with a company that had much cheaper healthcare costs… $180 for two people plus dental… with no increase of premium for when we have a first child… I thought it was hilarious the company was based in INDIA but they offered among the best coverage I have ever had anywhere vs American companies who see employee health more as a line item and prefers to use up its employees until we drop dead and then just replace us with in-sourced labor H1B…

That is a different thing… my point is I pull in approx. 87k a year my wife is back in school so I shouldering the burden until she finishes. Thankfully we have a roof over our head in our little condo and I easily afford what we need… we have no kids ‘thank god’… my newest vehicle is 2009 and is a motorcycle with our cars being over 10 years old … savings to me on auto insurance and the fact they are not advanced enough to keep me away from doing the maintenance myself…

My point I am getting at is the ‘discount’ exchange costs does nothing for people like me in terms of savings… I get no premium help…I have a HSA eligible plan which I want to use but the darn thing has a MAINTENANCE FEE just to have one… this is WRONG…. I got a higher deductible silver plan for the HSA and I find I have no choice but to throw $36 away each year to some bank who is providing my HSA…. the plan costs enough and when you have HSA you should not be paying a FEE to keep it that is ridiculous and you need to get on companies offering that sort of thing and trying to make even more profit off us who are now forced to pay into this system…

….Problems with America where DC is not doing enough!…

It furthermore does not help me as much as it hurts me as I live in WASHINGTON STATE which has a large cost of living… now that I am paying into this ‘Affordable Healthcare’ I lost~$600 I cannot put away towards trying to afford a house anywhere close to my work – I refuse to have a child in a CONDO and if I do I know I will NEVER get out of this place so my wife and I have been refusing to have children…

seriously I thought this was supposed to help the middle class not crush us! – the people who make 250k (calling these people middle class is a freaking joke!) ….have employer provided plans so they don’t pay into the exchange except on the back end if some loophole doesn’t get them to skirt too much taxes ….but unfortunately I don’t have a full time position… I work contract and thankfully I get a good wage but it could end tomorrow and I back to square 1 draining my reserves … this lovely country has let company CEO’s raise their pay 200% in the past three decades while the rest of us unless we are lucky (i feel I am one of the lucky ones) only see 2-5% which is not even keeping up with inflation….I have managed to get a better position with a lot of reading and extra book work to keep up but for others who don’t or can’t do the same lets face it they are screwed – but they are still having children… double screwed!

I mean unless this country starts going after these corporations who handle any new penalties on them by cutting employees to make their bottom lines look better I see little incentive to want to have even a single child… I mean why should I bring a child into this world to become a SLAVE to corporate america because that is what this country is becoming a growing poverty working class and a rich elite who think we are just supposed to be happy on the breadcrumbs that fall off their table – or else they just in-source cheap labor and let us Americans starve… because lets face it… ANYONE who unfortunate to be born into a family on government assistance is pretty much assured they will never break out of that rut with the growing income gap not impossible but seriously that is a stacked deck and the GAME IS RIGGED! – we have no bargaining ability when programs like the H1B are there to be abused by these corporations *they want more profit for their share holders and CEO’s … simple cut the workforce before the quarter ends and poof INSTANT PROFIT* … if these companies want to have access to the US Market they need to pay their dues on these record profits of theirs to ensure the children of this nation get their fair shot and piece of the pie… there is NO LOYALTY to companies anymore because they are not loyal to their employee’s anymore they use us up then replace us with some H1B import….our education system SUCKS the USA is not the greatest country in the world anymore for a large percentage of people here…and how are the future generations supposed to compete when our education system is behind the THIRD WORLD and we only lead with the highest % of incarcerated people!… yeah this is pathetic…. and DC is letting people get away with it! …at least there are some millionaires giving away a lot of their wealth because they see this issue while others just keep sucking it up like a leech at a bloodbank…

… I keep expecting they are just going to have to start corralling people based on how much they make and telling us where we can live or we going to have to live in company housing because we are not going to be able to afford to live near our employers anymore!… in Washington if you want to buy a house you have to be pretty darn creative to save enough to get a down payment on it now especially if your employer is in the city center unless your parents shell out the extra cash ‘shouldn’t need to – its insulting and I don’t like taking from my parents!’… I not big on a one hour commute just to get into work I lucky my place I live at is 20 minutes tops so even though the place is in the ghetto I can still get to work easily in the AM that is the only benefit of my existing place in my eyes minus the fact I can pay the mortgage here with 28% of my monthly income which again is one of the few reasons I am still relatively well off… but I hate where I live, the people I share living space with are druggies, and thugs where I have to have a loaded gun ready incase some criminal decides to try and rob me when I am home… I don’t have a lot but you bet your behind I am going to protect what property I do own and if that means I end up shooting some welfare baby thug dead where they stand so be it…I used to want to help people but now I am moving over to what representative in DC is going to screw me the least… that does not sound like democracy to me!

… I am still managing it but just barely – again I had a better start than most but I am good enough to see my math on the wall that I am getting to my breaking point – if I have one child I don’t see how I am going to be able to give them any help with college or anything else very easily, my small condo is not going to work easily for a baby either I have a home office in my second room but that is where I spend a lot of my time when I not at work and it keeps me happy having that space… but if I lose it to some kid; sheesh I just going to become even more bitter and resentful at the people who are letting their greed take away more and more from me…

if I cut my spending to the bone sure I can still still save money but if I get any expensive surprises that goes right out the window… I putting ~$150 into my 401k which is no where near enough but I need to hold onto so much extra cash, I have a reserve which most people do not because again I took my tax rebate and I put that into my reserve… I carry no debt month to month (since when did it become average people carrying $15k in credit card debt?…. I mean sheesh if I don’t have the money I do not buy things and what I do buy I only do so when I can pay for it in full!…

If we are to get something resembling change we need to stop protecting people with irresponsible spending habits claiming bankruptcy ….if you have an emergency medical thing sure that will bankrupt anyone… but this country has a cancer of people overspending and they run off leaving the rest of us responsible people to hold the bag… that is not just people in my income bracket mind you… the US Government has spent us into an impossible hole we will NEVER get out of and the super rich think they pay too much taxes?… BS!… call me old fashioned but people need be held accountable for their irresponsibility not rewarded! … the mortgage burst that started the recession… I found people who BLOGGED on the internet about how they let themselves default on their mortgages and let the bank take their home and then they took the money they saved not paying anything for 1.5 years and moved into a new house! … in my complex here people paid 180k for a 1 / 1 condo …. mine being a 2 /1 I got for 128k a few months prior… I mean sheesh lets face it the people who did that were total idiots but they got to short sale and tank my places value and got me stuck in my hole here… the bank would not let me short sell my place and pay off the difference where I could have gotten a nice house for much cheaper than now because ‘I was able to make my payments like a good boy’ …. I can tell you this I am sick of shouldering the dead-weight of america… people like me do not exist to shoulder the burden of people who just want to suck government assistance down… and have kids and collect even more assistance… people this irresponsible need to be put into work camps no more of this free pass bull…. yes I am referring to the people who make less than 50k a year and have WAY TOO MANY KIDS who just collect checks from taxpayers … I am busting my backside to try and move up and I for one say let the people down there starve because they are too stupid to keep their legs closed! … they should not get any tax breaks of any kind… people like me deserve such breaks and we are not getting them because the bar you satisfied for the ACA is too darn low at least on the west coats… I hear the east coast is no better in any of the big cities… but you guys should be basing your income classes off the major cities and not the depressed areas of the USA which have died out thanks to companies outsourcing manufacturing and other jobs that those areas lived on for so long… because I am telling you we should NOT HAVE TO HAVE DUAL INCOMES TO MAINTAIN A MIDDLE CLASS LIFESTYLE… some people calling themselves middle class who make 250k a year makes me sick… the middle class is up to 140k and that puts me right in the middle and I am barely holding on… when my wife works I will be much better off but seriously my wife should not feel obligated to work because she is depressed my 87k a year cannot easily afford us a house to raise the family she wants to have and my telling her no! …. this is supposed to be the America of the Future? Dang DC needs to kick the big money out of DC … NO SUPERPACKS….NO MORE BUYING OF CANDIDATES… if these corporations want to do business in america and sell to the american consumer they need to pony the heck up!… we could manufacture things ourselves with our population here but companies claim it is too expensive… (slang for their CEO pay and shareholders complain about not getting a big enough cut) … companies should be investing in their employees like they did in the past where employees actually felt if they put in the effort and the company did well the company shared in their success… now there is no such incentive and that is a shame and killing america

Having gone through a recent change in employment, I am experiencing first hand the horrors of the “affordable healthcare act” (aka, “Obamacare”). After having contacted several insurance brokers as well as visiting the the Covered California Marketplace to see just how affordable the “affordable healthcare” act is, here are the facts: the lowest cost “Bronze” plan available for my family comes with a $1062 monthly premium, has a $6000 per individual ($12,000 per family) deductible, separate $500 per individual ($1000 per family) pharmacy deductible. These mandated monthly premiums amount to $12,744 per year, and amounts to nothing more than catastrophic coverage. Should something catastrophic happen to me or my family, we would be out an additional $13,000 – totaling a staggering $25,744 annual out-of-pocket for medical-related costs! I have learned that in order for a plan to be compliant, it is required to include ten mandates – which have markedly driven up the cost of this health insurance, and frankly several of which I would not choose to purchase for myself. This is an insurance company’s dream – getting the government to force people to buy more coverage than they want or need. Contrast this to doing something to actually drive the costs of medical care down (i.e., health clinics, tort reform to discourage frivolous malpractice suits, forcing healthcare service providers to publish the rates they are going to charge for services before the services are rendered so the patient can shop around, etc.).

In the days leading up to the open enrollment deadline, I have received a handful of emails reminding me of the impending deadline – along with the not so consoling “did you know that 8 out of 10 people qualify for some sort of healthcare subsidy?” I checked, and fall into the 2 of 10 people category who are being forced to subsidize the other 8 – which is why my family will NOT be going to see a doctor unless we have a life-threatening emergency. This is maddening and patently unfair! The $12,744 I am being forced to pay will pay for someone else’s subsidized healthcare – in the meantime, my own family won’t be able to see the doctor! As they say… “a government who steals from Peter to pay Paul can always count of Paul’s support”.

Totally agree. How can we be forced to get coverage? Why did Obama insist on getting the government involved in personal lives???? I’ve worked all my life and currently am unemployed, no insurance left and I can’t afford health insurance. Every site I’ve gone to estimates my monthly cost for coverage to be over $300. I’m so frustrated. I’ll now have to pay more money when I file my taxes.

Why are good, hard working Americans forced to pay for other NON WORKING people. Seems if you haven’t worked, have lots of children, are an illegal… well you get EVERYTHING FOR FREE.

NICE value system Obama.

My sister in law is in the same boat. She finally got a job that doesn’t pay her 10.00 and hour under the table. Instead she gets 13.00 and hour on the up and up and now she and her 3 kids don’t qualify for Medicaid. And Obama Care is half her paycheck. This isn’t right….

I agree 100%. The government only wants America to THINK they helped in the “Healthcare” issues in this country. It only helps the rich, or better yet, doesn’t affect them due to they CAN afford it…The low income pays miniature amount or FREE…and middle class hard working Americans get screwed. Deductible alone makes it impossible to pay, and won’t make a dent before “so called” insurance pays 80%, if lucky. The monthly insurance cost for single or family, at any minimum payment crappy insurance, and the Deductible will cost MORE than the yearly total payments , and then you still have to pay Out Of Pocket for medical, dental, RXS, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the FINE of $600 each person come tax time, is STILL less expensive than having insurance.
Many middle class single parents out there can’t afford insurance premiums and survive, and make too much to qualify 1 or 2 kids in medicaid. As for CHIP? $249 per month for having 1 child if you fall in the middle class income. Those with 3 or more kids may only pay $49 or so, but unfortunately, those with ONE child get screwed.
Middle class workers, many do get a refund come tax day. NOT because of a child, for that just falls in a credit of $1000 from taxable income, not cash for each child as the misinformed assume, but because they worked. But thanks to Obamacare, we will get fine $600 Per person, meaning $1200 for two, which gives them the right to TAKE our refund money and put it back in the system to help pay for those that live off the government. It’s a win win for them, at the sweat and cost of the middle bracket.
Nothing is free. Obama care is a sham.
Maybe not for those that are disabled or elderly, but it would be nice to remove much of the government assistance AWAY from those that are healthy and CAN work and perhaps those feeding off the system can see how the rest of us survive. It would mean less expense payed out and this Obama care can go elsewhere…..thanks my opinion.

Dear Obamacare Facts Moderator,

We can all hear it in your defeated responses. Even YOU are exasperated, at a loss for actionable answers. Even YOU are calling for repeal or reform in indirect ways. It’s just not working for anyone, as you’ve pointed out. But let’s get specific. Based on the information you are dispensing here:

• The poorest of the poor have Medicaid. So, we can leave them out of the argument for now (understanding that Medicaid expansion probably did help these folks). Obamacare, therefore, is responsible for growing the number of mouths for the system to feed.

• The “simply poor,” coming in at 100%-400% of the poverty level, are receiving ACA subsidies. BUT, now that reality is hitting us all in the face, we can see that the subsidies aren’t adequately offsetting the ridiculously high premiums and deductibles. These folks had high hopes of getting affordable care, and, that’s not happening by a longshot. People are having to choose between paying rent or paying health insurance premiums. This is just stupid.

• The rest of us — middle class, self-employed — who have been forced onto the exchanges with no subsidies aren’t much better off than the “simply poor.” We’re ineligible for subsidies, so we’re paying full freight for our premiums on top of those ridiculous deductibles. We’re talking about working less so that we can get our incomes off the poverty bubble. We’re talking about going without health insurance for the first time in our lives. Again, this is just stupid.

Obamacare Facts Moderator, your only answer to all of the desperate people in this thread should be, “This is a terrible law. It needs to be repealed.” I know it’s your job to chime in and try to be helpful, but you simply can’t help. No one can. It’s just too broken.

You sound like a smart, compassionate person (or perhaps you’re many people). Maybe it’s time for you to focus your energies on really helping. Use your effort and voice to back ANYONE who is for repealing this stupid thing.

It would be wonderful if everyone could have affordable health care. Maybe there’s a way to achieve that. But this isn’t it.

Signed,
Everyone who is forced to pay for this nonsense

I am in the same boat I am so upset right now after hearing the premiums. I started crying on the phone with the marketplace lady….I said so I’m penalized because I work? I work two jobs I have to pay down my debt ( vet bills, food, kids activities) and now I’m so frustrated….I don’t know what to do….

I’m confused. I am only working part time due to some educational goals this year and my annual premium is 70% of my income. That’s the lowest cost plan. Somehow the numbers are not adding up. I support healthcare for all but this situation is horrible. The poor and very wealthy can afford care….the rest of us can’t. I absolutely can NOT afford coverage. I couldn’t even afford coverage costing half as much. Something is very wrong.

I understand I work part time and my husband get disability. I live in PA I thought I was going to get a fine when I filed income tax. I feel through the crack I make to much for state insurance and not enough to get health coverage. Isnt that some &#*$. Just isnt fair.

I totally understand your situation. Do any of them care that you have a mortgage, which by the way we got no help with as hard as I tried for almost a year. I don’t have a problem paying for my responsibility, always have all my life for myself and my family, but, by no means is it “affordable”. What is going on is a bunch of BS, very unfair. Since it became “law” to carry insurance we’ll sacrifice , maybe not fill prescriptions and pray we don’t end up in the hospital. Thank you President Obama, to think I voted for you not once but twice makes me feel betrayed. Why go by gross pay, do you not care that we eat and take care of other responsibilities?

I completely think that unless Obama is paying for everyone’s healthcare and making good healthcare accessible, it is not right to force Americans to have it. Especially when they can’t afford it. This is a subject that is of great stress and upset to me. I cannot afford the healthcare or the penalties for not having it.

I’m getting a divorce from a abusive spouse I’m fleeing. I’m getting 25.000 after I pay those who use to help me in 13 and 2014 and pay a years worth of rent I will have next to nothing. I have several illnesses one secondary progressive multiple sclerosis going to fight for SSI they will punish me for fleeing and he told me he would pay my insurance and co-pays medical costs but he lied. So I don’t know what I’m to do. I have access but will they drop me because I will have that lump sum of 25.000 I will need to live on I’m so scared I can’t spend that on medical I’m homeless because I left him I couldn’t take the abuse anymore. I want to move to another state to be far away from him. That 25.000 will be gone real fast. It won’t last a year and my meds are heavy duty I will suffer extremely if they are abruptly taken away